A Brief History
YWCA Ireland was officially founded in 1876 and is one of the oldest YWCA’s in the world. We are an all-Ireland association bringing together women of all ages, backgrounds and denominations.
The birth of the YWCA can be traced back to London in 1855 through the partnership of committed Christian Emma Roberts and social activist Lady Mary Jane Kinnaird. Roberts initially gathered women together in a Prayer Union to pray for young women, while Kinnaird was concerned about the safety of young women who moved to the city to work. Kinnaird identified a need for housing with a ‘warm Christian atmosphere’ to help young women cope with the pressures of work and to look after their spiritual health as well as their physical needs. By 1876 the two aspects of Christian work were combined under the Young Women’s Christian Association. The initiative spread rapidly across the world including Ireland.
The origins of the Irish association can be traced to a Prayer Union meeting at 15 Wicklow Street, Dublin, in 1872. Mrs Sullivan was appointed as the first President and, along with Miss Marrable, the association started to run Bible classes in Dublin. Many of our current activities have long-established historical roots. Holiday centres were established in 1893 at Coolnagreina in Greystones, County Wicklow (http://www.coolnagreina.ie) and in 1900 at Glenada House, Newcastle, County Down (http://www.glenada.co.uk). The Monaghan hall was erected in 1907 and the hostel on Lower Baggot Street in Dublin opened in 1920.
A booklet by Elaine Graham entitled For Such a Time as This charts the history of the YWCA in Ireland, and is available on request from our national office.